Abstract: Components of crushed fluorescent lamps are conveyed pneumatically from a lamp crusher housing to a cyclonic hopper and enter tangentially into the hopper adjacent its upper end. The components include heavy glass particles and caps which are allowed to drop by gravity into a separator housing where they are separated from each other and discharged into different storage containers. Lighter glass particles and dust are recirculated from the upper end of the hopper back to the crusher housing. A vacuum source draws dust and vapors pneumatically from the bottom of the hopper and introduces them tangentially into a cyclone filter housing where particulate matter is allowed to drop into a dust collector. This vacuum source also draws lighter dust and vapors from the upper end of the cyclone filter housing to a dust and mercury filter. Mounted in the crusher housing is a paddle element which rotates adjacent lamp crusher blades and mechanically sweeps lamp components towards the crusher housing outlet.

Abstract: A lamp crusher housing is mounted on a wheeled rack selectively to have its lower, discharge end connected to the upper end of any one of a plurality of waste drums. Several lamp supply chutes are secured at their lower ends in registry with access openings formed in a cover that is secured over the upper end of the housing so that lamps dropped through the chutes pass into the path of lamp crusher members that rotate in the housing. Toxic gases released in the housing are withdrawn from the housing through a filter element by a vacuum pump or suction fan which communicates with the housing interior and the lower ends of the feed chutes. Flexible baffle elements in the chutes prevent glass fragments and any vortex from backing up from the housing into the chutes; and a pivotal deflector plate in one of the chutes guides smaller lamps into the path of the rotating crusher blades.

Abstract: As each tube is fed into the feed chute of a fluorescent lamp tube crusher, and regardless of the size of the tube, a sensor switch in the chute immediately sends a count signal to an associated tube counter, and also produces an inhibit signal which prevents a second count signal from being applied to the counter for a predetermined interval of time that is greater than the time it takes to grind up a tube of a first size and that is less than the time it takes to crush a tube of larger size. If at the end of the interval a tube of larger size is still being crushed, a second count signal is applied to the counter.

Abstract: A lamp crusher housing is mounted on the removable cover of a replaceable waste container to discharge crushed lamps into the waste container through an opening in the cover. An elongate, plastic sleeve is removably and sealingly secured at one end over the upper end of the waste container, and at its opposite end around the outlet of the housing from which crushed lamp particles are discharged. The sleeve has an excess portion folded into the waste container so that when the cover is lifted from the container opposite ends of the sleeve bag remained sealingly connected to the waste container and housing outlet so that no toxic gases are allowed accidentally to escape into their surrounding atmosphere. The apparatus includes a replaceable filter cartridge for filtering out mercury vapors, and the like. Each cartridge contains a fuse which is connected in the circuit that controls the motor that drives the lamp crusher.